


Debt

by rose_griffes



Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: Gen, Girls with Guns
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-20
Updated: 2012-02-20
Packaged: 2017-10-31 11:15:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/343453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rose_griffes/pseuds/rose_griffes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Carter gets a warning just after gaining a new partner.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Debt

**Author's Note:**

> Episode insert for 1.05--before we meet Zoe Morgan in the show timeline. Morgan has enough connections on her own to figure out that something is up with Fusco's transfer, even without a connection to Reese yet. (This is really just an excuse to have Zoe interact with Joss, because I think that would be fascinating.)

She comes to this civilian-run place sometimes instead of going to the police firing range. Lots of ex-Army here--a crowd with a familiar feel to her--and they won't talk to her about work. This time of day there's almost no one else here anyway. Carter is just finishing a round when someone else walks into the room. It takes her a moment, but she recognizes the face, if not the casual plain clothes.

Shaking her head in disbelief, Joss removes her shooting muffs. _May as well get this over with_ , she thinks. "Ms. Morgan," she says as the woman approaches.

"Detective Carter."

"What a surprise to see you here." Surprise, maybe, but not a coincidence. She's interacted enough with Morgan to know that nothing is a coincidence when it comes to her. "You got a permit for that firearm?" Carter asks, gesturing toward the gun case.

Zoe Morgan, with her carefully-cultivated feminine image, had never struck Joss as the type to own a gun. Her weapons were usually less-tangible, but Joss should have known better than to make that kind of assumption.

Morgan ignores her question. "A word, detective?"

Joss shrugs. "I'm listening," she says. She puts down the muffs and reloads her weapon.

"Your new partner, Fusco. He's a dirty cop."

Carter doesn't say anything in reply. She's heard the rumors, but she's not going to share police business with Morgan, not without a damn good reason. Something in her face must have given her away, though, because Morgan's expression relaxes an imperceptible amount... like she didn't want this to be new information to Joss.

"What you probably haven't heard is that someone pulled strings to get him partnered with you."

Joss looks away for a moment, stung by this revelation. She thought--hoped, really--that the move to the Homicide Task Force would mean less politics. Instead she's finding herself increasingly at odds with her captain, and now _this._ Whatever this is.

Turning back, she asks, "Why?" She hates that she has to ask Zoe Morgan for information not related to a case, hates the crack in her voice as she asks it.

"I don't know," replies Morgan, her voice quiet but convincing. "All I can find is that someone pulled strings, but not who or why." Morgan pauses and then adds, "I figured I owed you one after the whole Jansen affair."

"You didn't owe me anything," Joss tells her. "I was doing my job." 

She looks at Morgan, who in turn looks at her. Finally Morgan nods and says, "I know." With that she turns and starts walking to the far end of the shooting range, gun case in her hand.

Joss puts on her earmuffs again and fires the round in her gun. Normally she'd stay and shoot another round or two, but now all she wants to do is go home and see her son. The questions don't stop running through her mind as she cleans up. Why does someone want Fusco working with her? Who had the kind of leverage to get Fusco up to HTF and partnered with her?

Joss finishes checking her weapon and stowing it in the case. Time to go home. She takes a last look at Morgan, waiting long enough to see her take a few shots. The woman has good stance and a confident grip.

Bull's-eye each time.


End file.
